Sliding glass doors, or as they are commonly called "patio doors", are used in a variety of installations opening from the interior of a residence or other room environment to a patio, balcony, or other exterior area. A problem that has long existed with these doors when they are installed in connection with balconies, decks, or patios which are on a plane which is substantially level with the door track and/or interior room floor is the underflow of water from the exterior to the interior. In very bad weather conditions when there are high winds and rain, the underflow problem is increased.
As a result of the increased construction of high rise condominiums, cooperatives, and hotels along ocean shore lines, there has been a commensurate increase in use of these sliding glass doors leading from the interior of the apartment or dwelling area to an exterior balcony or deck. Because of the weather conditions existing along coastal areas where inland areas are subject to high winds and rains, particularly during hurricane seasons, it has been the experience of many that water collects on the balcony or deck and frequently rises several inches above the plane of the room flooring and door track. As this water collects and rises above the threshold or door track, water seeps in under the door and into the room. Where the room is carpeted, a wicking action frequently occurs and the carpet can be soaked for a distance of several feet into the room. Where the floors are hardwood, the water can collect and cause considerable damage to the floor and/or carpeting.
In many such environments, the dwelling is used as a vacation residence and there is not an occupant continually living in the dwelling. In such environments, when water damage occurs, it may be days or weeks before the damage is discovered and can be remedied.
Previous attempts to weatherstrip or weatherproof sliding or other types of patio-type doors have failed in most instances. The most current approach to alleviating the problem of water seepage is to increase the height of the walls of the track in which the door panels slide to a height of two or three inches. While this increased height of the track does eliminate some of the underflow problem, it creates another problem in that to step from the room environment to the exterior environment, one must step over the heightened track or threshold. This is an undesirable feature of such door installations. People frequently trip on the heightened track, creating an increased liability for injury on the part of owners or occupants due to increased likelihood of accidents.
Where attempts have been made to increase permanent weather stripping around the door by addition of rubber strips or other such mechanical devices, such stripping frequently interferes with the smooth operation of the sliding door, in addition to wearing away and decreasing in effectiveness over a period of time.
The present invention is a removable water guard for selective installation along the lower edge of such doors. The guard is comprised of a vertical panel of metal or plastic material approximately two to four inches high and cut to a length to fit across the width of the door on which it will be installed. The lower edge of the vertical panel is attached to an inverted, U-shaped channel of resilient plastic or rubber material for clamping over the inside or room interior wall of the track in which the door panels slide. A plurality of individual small clips are slidably mounted across the top edge of the vertical water guard for clipping the edge of the guard to the sidewall extremities of the door frame to hold the panel securely in an upright position.
When bad weather conditions occur, or at any time the occupant is going to be away from the residence for an extended period of time, the water guard is merely clipped onto the door track, with both door panels closed, and left in position until the owner/occupant returns and requires free use of the door. The water guard protects against the underflow of water which gathers on the associated exterior balcony or deck and substantially eliminates any flow of water or moisture under the door. The water guard is easily installed or removed and when not in use can be conveniently stored in a nearby closet or like storage area.
In a preferred embodiment, the vertical panel of the water guard is made of a rigid but slightly flexible polymeric material and may be either transparent or opaque. Additionally, of course, it is obvious that the water guard could be made of a metal material such as extruded aluminum.
A better understanding of the objectives and structure of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art as the following detailed description is studied in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.